Times of Despair
by katie1999
Summary: NWZ Diego is desperate because Victoria has fallen for someone else.
1. Chapter 1

**Times of despair**

_Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else._

Chapter 1

When Diego rode back to the hacienda, he had never felt this miserable. He couldn't think of a time when everything had been so bad.

He remembered how it all had begun. The handsome stranger Hernando Gonzalez had arrived in Los Angeles some months before. He had stayed at the tavern as Victoria's boarding guest, first for a week, then he had extended his stay. As soon as he had arrived, he had started to court Victoria. At first she had rebuffed him, but he had not accepted it. Since he stayed in the tavern, he had always been around. He knew how to make himself useful and Victoria had started to accept his help. His constant presence made it also difficult for Zorro to meet Victoria alone what had put an additional strain on their relation.

It had been some weeks ago. Gonzalez had left town on some errand and had not returned when Zorro slipped into Victoria's kitchen.

"Victoria! I have missed you."

"Zorro, I need to talk to you." Surprised she had turned around and faced him. "There is something I need to tell you."

He had reached for her, but she had kept her distance. "Is something wrong?"

"Wait here, Zorro, I'll be back in a minute."

She had left the kitchen and had returned a few minutes later. She had approached him and had opened her right hand that she had closed before. In her hand had lain his mother's ring that he had given her when he asked to marry him.

"Take it back." She had dropped the ring in his black gloved hand.

Shocked he had looked at her. "Victoria, I don't understand. Why? What happened?"

"I'm tired of waiting. I need a man who is around and who is there for me. Hernando Gonzales is that man. He has asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"Victoria, I love you, please. After all these years you are going to leave me?"

"My decision is final. I think you'd better leave now."

She had turned around and had left him standing in the kitchen. He didn't know how he had gotten home that night. He had ridden across the country until dawn and then he had finally returned home. After he had taken care of Toronado, he had fallen onto his bed, dead tired but still unable to sleep. He had lain awake the whole morning and then sleep had finally overwhelmed him.

The next days had been a nightmare for him. He had told his father that he was sick and had stayed in bed most of the time. He had seen the concern in his fathers eyes who had thought for the first time that his son was sicker than would admit, but he couldn't talk to him. Felipe was the only one whom he had told the truth. Felipe had been shocked, but there had been nothing he could do.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A few days later he had gone to the pueblo to look for the newspaper and to see Victoria. He had tried to occupy himself with his work at the Guardian but he had often gotten distracted with thoughts of Victoria and the work had gone slow.

Alejandro and Felipe had wanted to join him for lunch at the tavern and he had been the first to arrive. When Victoria had come to take his order, he had tried to have some talk with her.

"Victoria, how is business today?"

"Oh Don Diego, I really have no time for talking."

"It is so busy today that you don't have time for me?"

He had looked around and there were only a few occupied tables and most of them were already served. Then Gonzales had come over to the table. "Victoria is right. She has no time for idle talk." "You'd better go to the kitchen to prepare for lunch, Victoria."

He had been surprised. "You let him order you around and you have no more time for an old friend? What has gotten into you? This doesn't look good to me."

"What ever is good or not good for me is alone my concern and you'd better keep out of it. If you must know, Hernando Gonzales is the man I'm going to marry."

"What about Zorro? I thought you promised to wait for him."

"Zorro is past. I'm tired of waiting and I want to go on with my life."

"So you split up with him, after all these years he has been loyal to you."

"That is just what I thought you'd say, Don Diego. I knew, you'd be on Zorro's side. No wonder when Zorro has always been there to help your family and Don Alejandro has been his greatest supporter."

"Victoria, I don't say that because Zorro has helped my family. Your decision seems to be a bit hasty. You know Gonzales only for a few weeks after all."

"As I said before that is none of your business."

"But Victoria, I don't think..."

"I'm not interested in what you think about me and Hernando." Victoria had become angry.

"Since you can't keep your thinking to yourself, you'd better leave now. We'll be on different sides now, since you'll be loyal to Zorro."

"Victoria, you are throwing me out of your tavern? Does our friendship mean nothing to you any more? This doesn't make sense at all. You can't do this!"

He had been stunned and hurt. He had never expected that.

"I can and I will. And I never want to see you in my tavern again."

"Victoria, you really want to do this? Only because I wanted to have a chat with you?"

"You'd better leave now."

Victoria had been sincere and he knew her well enough that she wouldn't change her mind that easily again. He had risen and was about to leave when Alejandro and Felipe had entered the tavern.

"What is going on here? Diego? Victoria?" Alejandro had asked when he had noticed the angry mood between them.

"Victoria has just thrown me out of her tavern. We are on different sides now that she is going to marry Senor Gonzales. If you excuse me, father."

"Is that true, Victoria? You ordered Diego to leave the tavern?"

"Yes, it is true and he'd better stay out."

"Felipe, in that case we'd better leave as well. I won't stay in a tavern where my son is not welcome. The de la Vegas will not be divided."

With that his father had followed him out to the plaza.

Hernando Gonzalez had only smiled triumphantly when Diego had left the tavern.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Diego didn't know what to do, now that all access to Victoria was denied to him. She was totally under the influence of Gonzalez. He wanted Victoria to be happy, but she didn't look that happy at all. Hernando had taken his time to upset Victoria against her friends and she wouldn't listen to anyone anymore. Diego didn't believe that Hernando had Victoria's best in his mind. He seemed to be a man who was interested only in his own good, but took his time to set his plans in motion.

The last weeks had been the hardest in Diego's life. He was grieving for his loss of Victoria, but he had still tried to continue as Zorro. The denied access to the tavern as Diego made his work as Zorro even more difficult. He could no longer invite the sergeant for lunches and get the necessary information from him that he needed as Zorro. His father also refused to eat in a tavern where his son was no longer wanted and didn't catch up on the information and the gossip in town either.

Two weeks after he had lost Victoria, he sat in the library with his father pretending to read when one of the peasants knocked at the door of the hacienda.

"Don Diego, can you please come, you have medical knowledge, haven't you?"

"Juan, tell what happened. Who was injured?"

"Pedro Ferera, he is very bad after the flogging from the alcalde. He needs medical aid and the doctor is at an emergency."

"There was a flogging in the pueblo today?"

"Si, Don Alejandro. The alcalde has invented a new tax on bread and Pedro Ferera wasn't able to pay. That 's why he was flogged today."

"And Zorro has not come to prevent it, Juan?"

"No, Don Alejandro, he hasn't. It was the first time he didn't prevent a flogging. Why has Zorro deserted the people? Is it because Senorita Escalante has left him?"

"I don't think, Zorro has deserted the people because of the Senorita. Zorro can't be everywhere. But it is good you came here. I'll ride with you to the Ferera farm and see what I can do."

Diego had tried to assure Juan, but he didn't seemed to be convinced.

He had been shocked about what had happened. Neither he nor his father had been in the pueblo for some days and they hadn't known about the new tax and the scheduled flogging.

The next day he had ridden to the pueblo as Zorro. After a short fight with the lancers, he had dueled with the alcalde and soon had him at the point of his sword.

As a result the alcalde had rescinded the tax on bread again.

But the damage had already been done. The trust in Zorro had been broken. He had not been there when he had been needed. Now the people knew that they no longer could rely on Zorro to always help them as they had in the past.

The alcalde had reacted to the changed mood in the pueblo by slowly rising the level of suppression and the people were no longer spirited enough to object, now that their main leaders were no longer present. Don Alejandro rarely went to town now and Victoria hardly rose her voice any more.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Diego had tried to keep himself informed as editor of the newspaper, but the people were less open and reluctant to share information.

Whenever he had been in the pueblo, he had tried to have a look at Victoria, but she was rarely to be seen now and stayed mostly inside the tavern.

He had had some talk with Alina, one of Victoria's helpers in the tavern. After he insured her that he would publish what she told him, she had been willing to share the gossip and some information what was going on in the pueblo from what she picked up at the tavern.

They were either having some chat when they met on the plaza or she was coming to his newspaper bringing him the lunch he ordered from time to time.

So it had been no surprise to see Alina at the newspaper today. But this time she hadn't come for some chat, but with a request.

"Don Diego, I would like to work for you at your newspaper."

"Alina, this is a surprise. I thought you were busy enough with your work at the tavern."

"That is the problem, Don Diego. I don't work at the tavern anymore, but my family needs the money I earn and that's why I thought.."

"Why did you stop working at the tavern? What has happened?"

"Senor Gonzalez has told me that they don't need me any more since there isn't enough work any more and that I'd better leave."

"But the tavern has been full most of the time, especially on market days."

"That had been the case as long as you had been there but that has changed in the last weeks."

"What has happened?"

"Your fight with Victoria. Since Victoria has banned you from the tavern, your father has made clear that he doesn't go there anymore."

"What has that to do with the business at the tavern. Three people don't make such a big difference."

"But you underestimate the influence you and your father have at the caballeros in Los Angeles. Those who are good friends with your father won't do less than him and they don't visit the tavern either. Since your father is well respected among the caballeros, there are hardly any left who come."

"I see. I never thought of that. I think Victoria didn't either. How is she anyway?"

"I can't say, Don Diego. It is mostly Senor Gonzalez who gives the orders now and Victoria keeps much to her room. She is sick quite often now."

"Victoria has never been much sick before." He was very concerned. "What about Senor Gonzalez?"

"At first he was nice to all of us, but recently he has shown his true nature. The atmosphere in the tavern has become quite unpleasant and except for the money, I'm glad I don't work there anymore. Since the flogging the normal people shun the tavern as well and all the guest the tavern has left are passing travelers or some rowdy vaqueros."

Diego had been at loss. "What has the flogging to do with the tavern being empty?"

"The day after the flogging Pedro Ferera's wife came to the tavern and she made Victoria responsible for her husband's injuries. If Victoria hadn't broken up with Zorro, he would have been there to protect him. Zorro always came before. And I think she is right."

"Alina, you can't really believe that. Zorro wouldn't abandon the people because Victoria decided to marry someone else."

"But that is what he did. It is all Victoria's fault. Who do the peasants have except for Zorro to defend them?"

Diego had been shocked about Alina's statements. The people shouldn't blame Victoria because Zorro had failed in protecting them. This was all wrong. Just when he had thought the situation couldn't get worse, it did. What could he do? He was worried about Victoria and at the same time he couldn't get to her. He had been distracted by the news that he hadn't heard what Alina has said next.

"Don Diego, what about my working for your paper then? Is there a chance? I'd really like to work here and I need the money."

"Alina, just let me think about it. Please come back tomorrow and I'll give you an answer."

"Thank you, Don Diego."

When Alina had left, he had been very concerned. When would this nightmare ever end?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

On his way back from the pueblo Diego was so lost in thoughts that he had paid little attention to his surroundings. Only now he saw the trail that was leading away from Los Angeles. It was a trail from a single person on foot which was rare on the road. Those who used the road were traveling north to Santa Barbara either by horse or by wagon. There was only the de la Vega hacienda on the road before the camino real to Santa Barbara started.

Who would come to the hacienda on foot?

But the hacienda wasn't the destination of the traveler, because the trail left the road before the hacienda came into sight. Intrigued by this mystery he followed the trail that leadin the direction of the Perdido canyon.

He followed the trail for quite some time until the footsteps ended at some rocks and some bushes. That was where he found her. He recognized the red skirt and the formerly white blouse immediately.

"Victoria," he exclaimed when he saw her body lying on the ground. He dismounted his horse and knelt down beside her. When he turned her around, she opened her eyes. She looked at him confused and with swollen eyes.

"Diego? What are you doing here? How did you find me?" she whispered with a hoarse voice.

"I followed your trail from the road and I think it is you who has to some explaining to do."

Now that he looked at her, he was shocked about the state he found her in. He hadn't seen her for some time and the changes were obvious. She looked haggard and much thinner than the last time. Her arms were full of bruises and her face was covered with paint to hide the bruises there. Where the paint was washed away from her tears, she looked even worse.

"Tell me what happened. Who hit you? Was it Hernando?"

She only nodded and then she began to cry.

"Shh, Victoria. It is all right. You are safe now."

He took her in his arms and comforted her. "Why didn't you come to the hacienda? We would have helped you."

"I thought you were no longer my friend, after all that I said to you. Please forgive me, Diego." She cried even more, her whole body was shaking.

It broke his heart to see her so desperate.

"I'll always be there for you, Victoria. Don't cry. Tell me what happened."

He embraced her and held her close. Desperately she clung to him and between tears she slowly started her tale.

"Hernando, I thought he loved me, but I in the last weeks he turned bad. At first everything was fine and he made me believe that he cared for me. He did everything for me and he was always around. Then slowly he changed. He started to hit me when I didn't do what he wanted."

"Why didn't you tell someone and ask for help?"

"There wasn't anybody left to turn to, he had alienated me from all my friends. And I was all alone. It grew worse and worse until he hit me every night and then last night..."

It took her some time to continue.

"He said if I had been Zorro's whore I could also be his and when I refused, he hit me like never before and then I started to run. I didn't know where to go, I only wanted to get away. I just ran and I ran... Diego, I swear, Zorro and I have never.."

"Victoria, I know."

He tried to comfort her as best as he could, but she kept on sobbing.

"Did he force you?"

He was relieved when she shook her head.

"Can you move?"

She shook her head again. "My ankle. I think it's broken." She winced in pain when she tried to move it.

"It was plain stupid to run out in the middle of the night. You could have died here if I hadn't followed your trail. Promise me, you'll never do that again."

He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. Effortlessly he lifted her in his arms and sat her on his horse in front of him.

He held her in a close embrace to make sure she wouldn't fall off on the way to the hacienda and she didn't resist. She didn't care at all what happened to her and it showed him even more how much she was hurt. He had never seen her in such a low spirit with all her fierceness gone.

Tonight Zorro would visit the tavern and make sure that Hernando Gonzales left the pueblo forever and that he never came close to Victoria again.

He carried Victoria to one of the guest quarters and ordered a servant to get Dr. Hernandez. His father was as shocked as Diego when he heard what happened. Alejandro felt guilty that he had no longer visited the tavern when Diego couldn't. He thought that he might have noticed something.

"Dr. Hernandez, how is she?" Don Alejandro asked him when the doctor came out of Victoria's room to join them in the hall where they had been waiting.

"She has a broken foot and some bruises. The bruises will be gone in a few days, but the foot will take longer. I have splinted it and she should not walk on it for some weeks. It will take time until she will be able to work again. That is all I can say from the medical point of view, but I have noticed that she had a very bad time recently. The bruises to her soul will probably take longer to heal. She will need her friends now."

"That's what she will have from me and my son, and she will have all the time she needs." Don Alejandro assured the doctor.

"Then there is nothing else for me do to here now. I will have a look at her again in a few days."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

That night Zorro paid a visit to the tavern. The tavern was still open when he entered through the back door. The kitchen was deserted and through the curtain he took a peek at the main room of the tavern. The room was empty except for one vaquero who hastily gulped down his drink and headed for the door when he saw Zorro enter.

Hernando Gonzalez was standing behind the bar arranging some bottles. It grated on Zorro to see him at Victoria's place.

"Senor, I think we need to talk," he said threateningly.

"Zorro, you are no longer welcome in this tavern. Besides Victoria is not here."

"I know very well where Victoria is and I also know what you did to her. You will pay for that."

"Don't think that this is so easy, Zorro." Gonzalez reached for the pistol he had hidden behind the bar. Before he could pull the trigger, Zorro quickly hit his hand with his sword and the shot went to the ceiling.

Zorro climbed behind the bar and grabbed Gonzalez by his collar. With a powerful shove he pushed him at the wall and fixed him with a strong grip.

"Now Senor, we can talk," Zorro said angrily. "I want to know why before I hand you over to the alcalde. Why did you hurt Victoria like this?"

"To take revenge for my brother. It was you and Victoria who ruined his career. Pablo Gonzalez is my brother."

"Are you talking of Corporal Gonzalez of the royal army?"

"I see that you remember him. He wanted Victoria to be a little friendly to him and show him the respect he was due as a corporal, but instead she poured juice all over him and Don Diego nearly challenged him."

Zorro remembered the moment when he had met Victoria the first time after his return from Spain and he had fallen in love with her. It was before he had even thought of Zorro.

"If he had wanted respect, he should have earned it by acting like honorable corporal."

"It was her fault. After this incident his whole regiment laughed at him for being made a fool by a tavern wench. The next time when his regiment passed through Los Angeles, he wanted her to apologize for her behavior, but Zorro got in the way and cut his pants that he stood there in his underwear. He became the laughing stock of his regiment and he was always reminded of his humiliation by his comrades. Then he started to drink and discharged from the army.

My brother came home and told me everything, before he shot himself. That was when I decided to take revenge on the woman who was responsible for my brother's downfall."

"Your brother is the only one who is responsible for what happened to him. That gave you no right to hurt Victoria."

Gonzalez ignored Zorro's remark and continued his tale, gloating while he revealed his plan.

"I wanted to humiliate the woman who did this to him and to bring her down.

It was easier than I had thought. I always had my way with women and I knew how to treat them.

Victoria was lonely and tired of waiting. With some well placed comments and some intrigues you never discovered I was able to set her up against you and her friends, and at the same time I made her believe that I loved her until she split up with you, Zorro. I even asked her to marry me."

"But you never intended to marry her, it was all a trick," Zorro growled.

"Of course, it was. As soon as I had ruined her, I would have dropped her. But unfortunately she resisted and ran away."

Zorro had never been this angry in his whole life, after he heard what Gonzalez had planned for Victoria.

"That she escaped from what you had in mind for her, is the one thing that saves you from death. If she hadn't, you would be dead now. But if you ever try to harm her again or even get near her, I will kill you. That is a promise I will keep. "

He tied Gonzalez up and pulled him to the kitchen. On his way in he had seen the big bathtub, ready for use and it had given him his idea.

Gonzalez looked confused at Zorro when he filled the bathtub with water and then rummaged through Victoria's cupboards. Zorro took several ingredients and poured them into the water. When he was finished, he cut through Gonzalez clothes until only his underwear was left and directed him to the bathtub.

"Now senor, you will take a bath." With the sword pointed at his chest, Gonzalez climbed into the tub. "Submerge until you are totally under water", Zorro ordered him.

"Are you going to drown me, Zorro? So you are a murderer after all." Gonzalez sneered.

"If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead. No, I'm only giving you a shave. This might be aggressive, so I recommend you to keep your eyes closed."

Having no choice, Gonzalez did as he was told and totally submerged holding his breath. After a short time he surfaced again. He repeated the procedure until Zorro was satisfied and made him leave the tub. Zorro tied him up again and pushed him to the ground.

"Now Senor, you will have an encounter with the alcalde and his men. Unfortunately for you, the sergeant is very fond of Victoria and especially her tamales. When he hears that he has to eat garrison food because you hurt her, he will not like it at all. The sergeant is a nice fellow, except when it comes to eating. He will guard you closely until your trial in San Pedro."

Zorro emptied the bathtub, carefully avoiding all contact with the water, before he went in search for the sergeant. He opened the tavern front door and stepped on the porch. The sergeant was leaning against it having some supper.

"Buenas noches, sergeant," Zorro greeted him. "Just don't try to arrest me. It is useless anyway."

"Zorro," the sergeant turned around surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought that you no longer visited the Senorita, now that she will marry Senor Gonzalez."

"This is not a visit to Victoria, but to Senor Gonzalez. Victoria is at the De la Vega hacienda because Gonzalez hurt her."

"Senorita Escalante is hurt? How is she?" Mendoza asked sympathetically.

"She nearly died when she got away from him, but Don Diego found her and now she has a broken foot and some bruises." Zorro's face was very grim. "The tavern will be closed until she is better."

"The tavern is closed? No more tamales?" Mendoza looked at him in horror.

"You can thank Senor Gonzalez for that. I have already done your work and tied him up for you. You will find him inside. Take him to the jail and make sure that he is brought to court in San Pedro."

With the prospect of having to eat at the garrison, he followed Zorro into the tavern quickly.

In the kitchen Mendoza looked confused. "Zorro, I thought you had tied up Gonzalez, but I don't see him. And who is the man over there?" He pointed at Gonzalez without recognizing him.

"That is Hernando Gonzalez. I simply got him a shave with some potion after a recipe I read about in a book from Dr. William Morgan. It is quite effective, but a little aggressive. Now I know why he didn't recommend it."

Mendoza looked at Gonzalez incredulously. "Now, that you say it, I recognize him. But the man is totally bold and he has not a single hair on his whole body like a baby. Before he was handsome and very vain about his hair, but now he looks like ..."

Mendoza was at loss for words.

"Now his outside reflects his soul. This will give him a lesson not turn on some woman for some time." Zorro added, still angry.

"Will his hair grow back, Zorro?"

"Probably. Dr. Morgan wasn't specific about the time it will take." Gonzalez face turned white.

"Remind me never to ask you for a shave, Zorro. I think he deserved it, after what he did to Senorita Escalante when she isn't able to cook for some weeks."

He roughly pulled Gonzalez to his feet and shoved the tied man out of the door. "I will do as you say, Zorro. He won't have the chance to hurt the Senorita again, because he will spend the next time in jail under close guard."

His task accomplished, Zorro locked the tavern behind Mendoza and returned home.

_**Author's note: **This part was quite difficult to write because for the first time Zorro steppes out of his role of never hurting somebody and takes his revenge. But I thought that simply doing his 'Z' and getting him to jail would be too easy on Gonzalez._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

At the hacienda Victoria slowly recovered from her ordeal, but she showed no intention to return to her tavern after Gonzales was removed. She was ashamed and didn't want her bruises to be seen in the pueblo. After the first day, when Diego had found her, she never opened up again and she totally retreated to herself. She ate very little and hardly said a word. She didn't even allow him to take her in his arms to comfort her. She trusted nobody anymore.

The next evening he paid her a visit as Zorro. She had limped to one of the benches in the garden and had made clear to Don Alejandro that she wanted to be alone.

"Zorro, you came to see me?" There was a first glitter of hope to be seen in her eyes. "I understand that you don't love me anymore, but can you forgive me, please?"

"Always, Victoria." He sat down beside her and took her hand. Softly he placed a kiss on it.

"I have never stopped loving you."

"Then you are not angry at me anymore, Zorro? How can you still love me after all I've done?"

Her eyes were full of fear and grief.

Slowly he reached out and caressed her cheek. "You will never lose my love, Victoria."

Then her self control vanished. Tears ran down her face and he slowly kissed them away while he took her in his arms.

"Hold me please, Zorro. Don't ever leave me. I love you so much, but I only realized it after I sent you away." Desperately she clung to him.

For the first time in months they kissed again and both were happy about their reconciliation.

"I was not your fault, Victoria. It was a trap and it wouldn't have happened if had been there for you."

He told her what Gonzalez had revealed him at their encounter. Victoria was shocked and at the same time relieved. "I felt so guilty that I left you, but now that I know he planned it all along, I am more ashamed of my stupidity."

"Victoria, none of us could have known that he was such an evil man. But he will never harm you again. I will be there for you when I wasn't in the past."

After that Victoria's condition greatly improved and her mood lifted. Zorro met her every night after dinner in the garden, and they spend the evening together until she went to bed. They were kissing, talking or only watching the stars in silence. Sometimes it got so late that she fell asleep in his arms and he carried her to her bed. When she woke up the next morning, she found herself fully clothed in her bed, covered with a sheet and a rose on her pillow.

Whenever Alejandro saw Zorro in the garden, he never said a word, but retreated to another part of the hacienda to leave them undisturbed. He knew he shouldn't allow these secret visits, but he was glad that Zorro had come and still cared for Victoria who was as dear to him as a daughter. He knew how much Victoria depended on Zorro's love and that they both needed some time together after this near tragedy.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Diego spend more time with Victoria as Zorro than he ever had before, but the longer it went, the more he realized that it couldn't go on like this. First of all it became more and more difficult for him to keep up his charade. The days he was spending with her as Diego and the evenings as Zorro. He could hardly keep himself apart anymore. He had always to remember what he said to her as Diego and what as Zorro. He began to slip more and more often. Now that she was recovering, Victoria became more alert and sooner or later she would make the connection.

Somehow he wanted her to know the truth. After all these years he couldn't blame her that she had been tired of waiting for Zorro and they needed to go on with their lives. He couldn't risk to lose her once more and he needed to find a solution for the difficult situation they found themselves in.

During one of their talks they had discussed that fact that the people blamed her for his failure to show up at the flogging.

As Zorro he had told Victoria that he hadn't known about the flogging, but still she felt responsible, because he had always know before. Now that she and Zorro had reconciled, everything would return to normal, but that left them with the problem how they could marry. To marry her as Diego was impossible now, not when everybody was expecting her to stay true to Zorro. It would be the same as revealing his identity as Zorro. And to marry her as Zorro would put her into danger from the alcalde.

What a terrible mess.

Diego had been pacing the library up and down for some time without coming to a solution until his father interrupted him.

"Diego, now please stop it. You won't solve your problems with walking holes in the floor. Tell me what troubles you, maybe I can help you. Is it about Victoria?"

Diego looked up surprised. He hadn't known that his concern for her was that obvious.

"Don't tell me you don't care for her. You have been spending every free moment with her, ever since you brought her here. And I have seen how you look at her. How long have you loved her?"

"Since I came home from Spain."

"That long and you never said a word to her? No wonder I could never persuade you to marry.

What are you going to do about it? Now that she has reconciled with Zorro again."

"That's the problem. I'll never stand a chance against Zorro."

"You should talk about it with Victoria. If she hadn't been tired of waiting, she'd never have fallen for this 'Hernando'." Alejandro said the name with disgust. "She is as close to marrying Zorro as before she met that man. Not when there is no end of the alcalde's oppression in sight. Zorro is still needed and won't be able to openly stand by her side for some time. Maybe you do stand a chance with her."

"Do you know what that means, father? You expect her to dupe Zorro once more, just after they got together again? You yourself support his visits to Victoria and on the other hand you want to betray him?"

"I do hold Zorro in great esteem, but you are my son and I want to see you happy with Victoria."

Diego was shocked about his father's statements. He had always thought that his father was loyal to Zorro. But his father preferred Diego to Zorro. While he was pleased to be his father's favorite it also meant disloyalty to his other self. He was torn. Torn and trapped!

Even more angry than before he started pacing once more, his mood clearly showing.

"Now Diego, what have I said that has made you angry? All I that I wanted was to give you some fatherly advice. I looks like you're angry that I prefer my own son to some masked stranger whoever he may be. You are my flesh and blood and I will stand by your side. You should know that."

"Thank you father, I appreciate your help. But unfortunately that doesn't solve my problem. If only I could get rid of Zorro."

"What do you mean by that? If you weren't such a peaceful man I would think you wanted to kill him. But gladly you would never do that."

"Maybe I should really kill Zorro. It would give the people something to think about. I only need a good plan." He started thinking and pacing again.

"You can't be serious, Diego. How can you even consider killing a man?" Alejandro looked at his son in horror. "I never thought you were bloodthirsty. Sometimes I wished you were a more active man but I'd never want you to kill someone."

"I don't intend to kill someone, I only want to kill Zorro. I just need to think about it." Leaving his shocked father behind, he left the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

In the evening when he was about to meet with Victoria as Zorro, Alejandro waited for him in the garden.

"Zorro, I need to talk to you. I think you are in danger. Today I had a talk with Diego and I think he is jealous of you and Victoria. He has thought about killing you and I can't let that happen."

Zorro's reaction was not what Alejandro had anticipated. He laughed, "So you are loyal to Zorro after all. But I can put your mind at rest, there will be no bloodshed between Diego and me. That would be quite impossible."

"How can you be so sure about that?" Alejandro was irritated. He had come to warn Zorro and as a result Zorro laughed at him.

"Because.." Zorro started to say something and then suddenly he changed his mind.

"Oh well, I have got enough of the whole masquerade." He threw his hat to the ground and shoved his mask from his face.

Alejandro stared at him. "Diego?" "You are Zorro?" Alejandro leaned against one of the walls for support. "How..? How ..?" he was stunned. Before he found his speech again, Victoria entered the garden. She looked at the two men and at Diego in his black outfit.

"Diego, it's really you?" She sounded more relieved than surprised.

"Victoria, you are not surprised?" Diego asked her.

"Not after these last weeks. I never spend so much time with Zorro before, but having you and Zorro day by day beside me, I must have been more than blind. Besides, you made too many mistakes recently. I could asked Diego something I talked about with Zorro and Diego could give me the right answer and vice versa. I checked it. I'm not stupid. I was about to confront you today."

"You really did? Then you are not angry?" he asked hopefully.

"Only at myself, for being so blind." Without hesitation she stepped into his open arms. "The biggest mistake I ever made was when I banned you from my life, Diego. I'll never want to live without you again."

She reached for him to kiss him and he tenderly returned it.

"But you will answer a lot of questions, Diego," she said demandingly.

He laughed happily at that. Her remark showed him that she had gotten back her temper and that her spirit hadn't been broken. She would be herself again.

"We should better move inside," Diego suggested. "What we have to discuss, should better be done in private. And I think you'll find a chair more comfortable for support, father."

They talked a lot that night and Diego had much to explain.

Although they didn't find a solution what to do about Zorro that night, Diego and Victoria made up their mind about one thing. He would marry her soon, either secretly as Zorro or openly as Diego.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next day Victoria expressed her wish to accompany him to the pueblo. It was the first time she'd return to the pueblo after the night she ran away from Gonzalez. Only then Diego realized what they had overlooked. Since Victoria hadn't been in the pueblo recently, nobody knew that she had reconciled with Zorro. Zorro had kept his visits private even to the servants on the hacienda. Except for Victoria, Felipe and his father, nobody else knew. And if they kept it private, there would still be a chance for Diego and Victoria. It was Diego who had saved her life after all.

So there was no real need to get rid of Zorro.

Nobody could expect to Zorro to take her back after she had left him, and this would be the chance for Diego to marry her, after all the weeks she had spent on the hacienda. Zorro would merely be a good friend, no longer angry at her, but no longer her lover either.

Now that he no longer had to act in front of his family, life became a lot easier. He no longer had to guard his tongue and act like he didn't care when in fact he was quite angry. When Victoria got to know the real Diego, she discovered how much alike he was to his father. They both had the De la Vega temper and they couldn't stand injustice. But where Don Alejandro acted impulsively, Diego kept his anger in check. He always gave it a thought, before he made his move trying to turn the situation to his advantage. When he acted, he was in control of the situation and he used his opponents anger against them. The only times she had seen him act impulsively was when she or his father had been in danger. But then it had sometimes been Alejandro who had restrained him.

Two weeks later Victoria's brother Ramon arrived at the De la Vega hacienda. Diego had written him in his worry about Victoria and hoping that her brother would be able to help her when he no could reach her. Ramon had been very concerned about Diego's letter, but he wasn't able to come earlier.

He was relieved to see his sister well and happily agreed to give his sister away at the wedding that was scheduled the week after his arrival.

Victoria and Ramon made a decision about the tavern. About all that happened Victoria didn't feel comfortable there any more and after the wedding she wouldn't have that much time for it either when she hoped to have her own family to care for soon.

Ramon was glad to take over the tavern from Victoria after it was reopened. Victoria helped him to set up business again until he was able to manage it himself. Alina and Pilar returned to their job at the tavern and since the De la Vegas were regular customers again, the business improved considerably.

Victoria also had a clue that her brother wouldn't stay alone for long since she noticed how well Ramon and Alina got along after they set sight on each other.


	11. Chapter 11

**Epilogue**

After they wedding ceremony was over, Diego and Victoria used the moment of quiet before the guests arrived at the hacienda for a walk in the garden.

"Diego," Victoria said, "there is something I must tell you."

Diego looked at her expectantly.

"You know that night when Hernando wanted to have his way with me," she said hesitantly, "something happened. He restrained me by the arms and I didn't know what to do. I needed to

make a decision. I could give in to him or I could resist him. It would have been easy to give in, just to stop the beating and I nearly did.

And then suddenly everything was different. It was like a vision. In one moment I had been in my room and in the next I was standing at the bar of my tavern. But the tavern was not like it had been before. There were women who were entertaining the men and I was one of them. It was a nightmare. And then there was you. You were very angry and you grabbed me by my arms and forced me to look at the mirror behind the bar. "Look what you have become," you said. "Look at yourself. You promised you'd wait for him."

"Wait for whom?" I asked. "Wait for Zorro." I didn't know who you were talking about and I saw the desperation in your eyes.

The next moment I was back in my room and I knew I had to fight. Somehow I knew what would happen if I didn't and that look in your eyes hurt me more than anything Gonzalez could ever do to me. It was more than I could bear. I freed myself and then I started to run from that nightmare. Everything had been so real and there even was Mendoza, but he no longer wore his uniform."

Before she could continue, Diego interrupted her. He had turned white when she had described the scene at the bar. He was staring at her, his eyes unfocused as if he was seeing everything in front of him.

"Mendoza was dressed in a beggar's rags and he was hungry because he hadn't eaten in days. And you wore a white blouse that was pulled very low down one of your shoulders. And my father was dead and Felipe was in Devil's Fortress."

Victoria stared at him in shock. "How can you know that? It was so real, but it was a dream, wasn't it?"

"No, Victoria, I don't think it was a dream. It was what could have happened if we made the wrong decision. I have been through that nightmare before and it still haunts me. I have been there, years ago and it helped me to go on as Zorro when I had doubts and was questioning the reason for him."

It showed me what my life would be if I hadn't decided to become Zorro."

He recounted her what had happened that Christmas eve some years ago.

"And it showed me what I would become and gave me the power to resist Gonzalez," Victoria added. "At that moment I knew I couldn't live without you."

"Neither can I, Victoria and nothing will ever come between us again. I'll do everything in my power for that."

Happily he kissed her and hugged her close, the memory of that nightmare engraved on their minds. They needed to feel each other to know what was real and that they escaped this possibility if only barely. For what they had endured made them value their wedding even more. The future would not always be easy, but life could never be better for them than when they were together.


End file.
